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There is an expression in Billiards lore that suggests that “doing simple things well” is the main business at hand, and there is surely some truth to this. It is not really all that difficult to pick up a Billiards cue and “draw a straight line” between the centre of the cue ball and the center of the object ball. However, it does requires the development of a stance that provides stability, to reduce interference, and allow the unimpeded application of “the stroke”. It is helpful to recognize from the onset that the reason that it is worthwhile to develop a solid stance is that this provides a stabile platform that, in turn, enables us to draw a straight line. Joe Davis (Complete Snooker; page 24) suggested that: “absolutely no movement whatever on the stroke of any part of the body except the striking arm” was a fundamental principle of snooker. Proper stance allows us to accomplish this. It is no accident that many excellent Billiard players will judge the proficiency of a potential opponent by simply observing carefully the integrity of “the stroke”. This is the main event and “doing simple things well” in this regard is a foundational practice.
